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The purpose of this study is to carry out an investigation of the role of the wood particle size on the mechanical properties of poly lactic acid (PLA)-reinforced neem fiber biocomposite.

Composite test specimens were processed by reinforcing neem wood flour (NWF) in two different particle sizes, micro-sized NWF (MNWF) and nano-sized NWF (NNWF) separately into PLA. Composites were extruded at four different fiber loadings (10, 15, 20 and 25 Wt.%) into PLA matrix. The MNWF and NNWF had particle sizes varying from 5 to 15 µm and 10 to 15 nm, respectively.

Tensile strength, flexural strength and impact strength of PLA increased with fiber reinforcement for both the MNWF and NNWF cases. The NNWF-reinforced PLA composite at 20 Wt.% fiber loading proved to be the best composite that had outstanding mechanical properties in this research.

The developed composite can be used as a substitute for conventional plywood for furniture, building infrastructure and interior components for the automobile, aircraft and railway sectors.

A new biocomposite had been fabricated by using PLA and NWF and had been tested for its mechanical characteristics.

With the improvement of living standards and acceleration of working pace, the shape retention property of textiles has attracted more attention. Yarn spinning is the first fundamental process in making textiles and apparel, and the properties of yarn influence the performance of textiles directly. Filament/staple fiber composite yarn is a kind of yarn spun by filament and staple fiber, and comprehensive qualities of yarn can be improved. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to study the shape retention properties of filament/staple fiber composite yarns and corresponding fabrics.

Four kinds of composite yarn, core-spun yarn with one 50D SPH filament feeding, sirofil wrapped yarn with one 50D SPH filament feeding from left, sirofil wrapped yarn with one 50D SPH filament feeding from right, sirofil wrapped yarn with two 25D SPH filaments feeding from two sides, were spun. The qualities of spun yarns were measured. Then, corresponding two kinds of twill fabrics were woven by core-spun yarn and sirofil wrapped yarn with two filaments, respectively. The handle parameters, crease recovery, appearance leveling after washing, dimensional change rate after washing, strength and elongation and tensile elasticity were tested by using corresponding test instruments.

The tested results of spun yarn qualities show that comparing with the core-spun yarn, the evenness of sirofil wrapped yarn is improved, the hairiness is reduced, and the breaking strength and elongation are increased. Comparing with sirofil wrapped yarn with one filament, the evenness of sirofil wrapped yarn with two filaments is improved. The measured results of fabrics properties show that under the same weaving process, comparing to the fabric woven by core-spun yarn, the dimension of fabric woven by sirofil wrapped yarn is small after desizing, and warp and weft density is large. The possible reason is that the shrinkage of the SPH filament outside the sirofil wrapped yarn happens after desizing, which also makes the dimensional change rate after washing of the corresponding fabric large, and crease recovery poor.

In the paper, for improving the shape retention properties of the pure cotton woven fabric, one kind of SPH filament was added to the woven fabric by spinning filament/staple fiber composite yarns. Four kinds of composite yarn, core-spun yarn with one 50D SPH filament, sirofil wrapped yarn with one 50D SPH filament feeding from the left side, sirofil wrapped yarn with one 50D SPH filament feeding from the right side, sirofil wrapped yarn with two 25D SPH filaments feeding from two sides, were spun. Two kinds of twill fabrics were weaving by core-spun yarn and sirofil wrapped yarn with two filaments, respectively.

As one kind of filament/staple fiber composite yarn, core spun yarn has been widely used, especially on Jeans. However, there is only one filament in the commonly used core spun yarn, such as spandex, and the performance of the one filament often is influenced during dyeing and finishing. Therefore, in the paper, twin-core spun yarns with two different filaments feeding simultaneously were spun on ring spinning frame modified by one kind of filament feeding numerical control device. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Four kinds of twin-core spun yarns, cotton/spandex/PBT, cotton/spandex/CM800, cotton/spandex/T400, cotton/spandex/SPH with linear density 36.4tex/40D/50D were spun. For improving the covering effect of the two filaments, the filament feeding position, filament pre-drafting multiple, distance between two staple roving, designed twist factor of the core spun yarn were optimized.

It is shown that comparing with the core spun yarn, the breaking strength and elongation of the twin-core spun yarns are improved since the addition of another elastic filament, while the evenness is a little worse.

By using the twin-core spun yarns, corresponding knitted and woven fabrics are produced. Meanwhile, for simulating the dyeing and finishing process, the knitted fabrics were treated during the 150°C high temperature. It is shown that comparing with the fabrics produced by cotton/spandex yarn, addition of another elastic filament can improve the fabric strength and resistant and has positive effect on worsen prevention for high temperature treated fabric elastic recovery, and on change prevention during the dyeing and finishing process for fabric handle properties, and improves the fabric stability.

In the recent years, the industries show interest in natural and synthetic fibre-reinforced hybrid composites due to weight reduction and environmental reasons. The purpose of this experimental study is to investigate the properties of the hybrid composites fabricated by using carbon, untreated and alkaline-treated hemp fibres.

The composites were tested for strengths under tensile, flexural, impact and shear loadings, and the water absorption characteristics were also observed. The finite element analysis (FEA) was carried out to analyse the elastic behaviour of the composites and predict the strength by using ANSYS 15.0.

From the experimental results, it is observed that the hybrid composites can withstand the maximum tensile strength of 61.4 MPa, flexural strength of 122.4 MPa, impact strength of 4.2 J/mm² and shear strength of 25.5 MPa. From the FEA results, it is found that the maximum stress during tensile, flexural and impact loading is 47.5, 2.1 and 1.03 MPa, respectively.

The results of the untreated and alkaline-treated hemp-carbon fibre composites were compared and found that the alkaline-treated composites perform better in terms of mechanical properties. Then, the ANSYS-predicted values were compared with the experimental results, and it was found that there is a high correlation occurs between the untreated and alkali-treated hemp-carbon fibre composites. The internal structure of the broken surfaces of the composite samples was analysed using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis.

The purpose of this study is to highlight the threats related to the utilization of synthetic fibers. Volatile organic compounds, particulates and acid gases are released during the production of polyester and other synthetic textiles. Polyester is problematic solid waste material as it takes centuries to break down and hence causes microplastic pollution. Biodegradable synthetic solutions for the replacement of polyester are a sustainable business marketing these days. The naNia fiber is the breakthrough product and it is claimed a biodegradable, compostable and toxin-free polymer.

In this research, fabric constructed of naNia fiber was dyed with the extract of naturally occurring Lawsonia inermis (henna) plant leaves. The henna dye was extracted in water and ethanol using different methods, and the better extract was selected by the evaluation of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and phytochemical analysis. Henna with ethanol extract showed more desirable results hence it was selected to dye naNia fabric. To improve dyeability, premordanting, simultaneous mordanting and postmordanting were done using chitosan, fresh lemon extract and tannic acid, respectively. The dyed fabric samples were subjected to color strength analysis and multiple colorfastness tests.

The colorfastness test has shown good to excellent results. Scanning electron microscope analysis had also shown the attachment of dye molecules to the filaments. This study revealed that henna dye is appropriate to color naNia fiber even without the aid of a mordant.

For the first time, toxicant-free, biodegradable polyester (naNia) is successfully dyed with sustainable and naturally available dyes and mordants.

The production of car bumper composites based on glass fibers and carbon fibers has been a continuous trend. These materials have standard properties; however, they are very expensive and are not readily available. Therefore, focus on the choice of reinforcement fibers is gradually shifting toward natural sources. Natural fibers are becoming attractive alternatives to traditional high‐performance fibers such as glass and carbon fibers for reinforcement in composites in structural applications. To produce a car bumper that will be less expensive and available leads to the development of Momordica angustisepala fibers (MAf) and anthill particles/ polyester hybrid composites.

The composite was produced by hand lay method. The physical, mechanical, microstructure and thermal properties of the composites were used as criteria for the selection of the material for car bumper application. The validation of the tensile properties was done using the finite element method.

The results should impact energy of 7.82J/mm2, 145.28 per cent improvement in tensile strength of the polyester increased by the addition of 6wt per cent MAf, and 5wt per cent anthill particles. Flexural modulus of 2269.01 and 2435.19 Mpa and flexural strength of 56.61 and 85.45 Mpa were obtained for the polyester and composite. The maximum temperature of decomposition was 370.00 and 472.00oC for polyester and composite. Validation of the tensile properties shows that with the difference between predicated yield strength the experimental gave a percentage error of 6.43 per cent and safety of 68.12 per cent. It can be concluded that the composite formulation with 6 wt per cent MAf and 5 wt per cent anthill particles in polyester can be used in the production of car bumper because the mechanical properties obtained are within the ranges used for car bumper application.

The composition of 5 wt per cent anthill particles and 6 wt per cent MAf in polyester has never been used in the production of car bumper before now; hence this work is novel and contributed to knowledge materials development.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a coated glass fiber fabric which can be used as the outer shell of firefighters' protective clothing and replace aramid fabric.

The silicone resin with excellent heat resistance was selected as the base solution. Silica nanoparticles, mica powder and ferric oxide were added into the coating solution, which was coated on the glass fiber fabrics. The vertical burning, thermal protective performance (TPP) value, second-degree burn time and water repellency of the coated fabrics were characterized.

Results showed that the dosages of the thickening filler were in the range 4%–6%; the coating solution has good viscosity. The optimal composition of fillers added in the silicone resin is silica nanoparticles 6%, ferric oxide 5% and mica powder 6%. The TPP value of the optimum coated fabric is 413 kW·s/m². The second-degree burn time is 4.98 s, which is obviously higher than that of the original glass fiber fabric (3.49 s) and that of the aramid fabric (3.82 s). The coated fabric has better thermal stability than aramid fabric.

The production cost of this coated glass fiber fabric was much lower than that of the aramid fabric.

The purpose of this paper is to give compiled information on previously applied cotton fabric surface modifications. The paper covered most of the modifications done on cotton fabric to improve its properties or to add some functional properties. The paper presented mostly studied research works that brought a significant surface improvement on cotton fabric.

Different previous works on surface modifications of cotton fabrics such as pilling, wrinkle and microbial resistance, hydrophobicity, cationization, flame retardancy and UV-protection characteristics were studied and their methods of modification including the main findings are well reported in this paper.

Several modification treatments on surface modification of cotton fabrics indicated an improvement in the desired properties in which the modification is needed. For instance, the pilling tendency, wrinkling, microbial degradation and UV degradation drawbacks of cotton fabric can be overcome through different modification techniques.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, there are no compressive documents that covered all the portions presented in this review. The author tried to cover the surface modifications done to improve the main properties of cotton fabric.

Low pilling and wrinkle-free appearance of cellulosic fabrics are always demanded. Resin finishes are applied to improve these properties, but there is an adverse effect of the resin finish as it tends to reduce the strength of the fabrics. Therefore, the effect of the two most important finishes; anti-pilling and resin finish, on the strength characteristics of 100% viscose and 50:50 Viscose/cotton plain and satin fabrics were investigated in this paper. The purpose of this study is to identify significant factors affecting the strength of fabrics finished with crosslinking agents [non-ionic acrylate copolymer and (dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea)].

A statistical model of 2³ 3² mixed level factorial design was used for the study. Appratan N9211 (A) and Arkofix NF (B) were tested at three concentrations, whereas three factors fabric; weave (C), blend ratio (D) and curing method (E) were tested at two levels. The performance of the finish was evaluated by two response variables, which were tensile and tear strength.

The various conditions of high strength values of the fabrics were presented in this paper. It was found that the tear strength of the fabrics increased after finishing except for 50:50 viscose/cotton plain fabric, whereas the tensile strength of plain fabrics is better at shock cure and for a satin normal cure is better. The model adequacy plots exhibit that the assumptions of normality and independence are not desecrated. Moreover, the values of “predicted R²” are in reasonable agreement with the “adjusted R²,” which confirms that models have been accounted for most of the inconsistency.

This paper is a part of my PhD dissertation. Unlike the previous studies, this paper investigated the effect of two crosslinking agents, Appretan N9211 as anti-pilling and Arkofix NF as wrinkle resistant agents on 100% viscose and 50:50 viscose/cotton plain and satin. Three different concentrations of both the crosslinking agents were used. Also, fixation of the finishes was carried out at a normal cure and shock cure.

This paper aims to investigate the flexural properties i.e. the flexural strength and the flexural modulus under the influence of selected input variables, namely; fiber type, fiber loading and fiber size in fabricated natural fiber polymeric composites through using Taguchi’s design of experiment methodology.

The Taguchi’s design of experiment approach has been used to scheme a suitable combination to fabricate the polymeric composites. Pure polypropylene (PP) has been chosen as a matrix material, whereas two types of fibers, namely; wood powder (WP) i.e. sawdust and rice husk powder (RHP), have been used as a reinforcement in the matrix. Microstructure analysis of fabricated and tested samples has also been evaluated and analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. This analysis has divulged that at moderate fiber size and higher fiber loading, no gap or cavities presented between the fillers and matrix particles, which illustrates the good interfacial bonding between the materials.

The flexural strength of the wood powder pure polypropylene (WPPP) composite decreases if the fiber content gets increased beyond 20 Wt.%. In addition, the flexural strength of hybrid composite (WPRHPPP) has been revealed to get improved more in comparison to composites with single fiber as reinforcement. Furthermore, the flexural modulus of WPPP composite has also increased with the increase in fiber loading. It has been concluded that reinforcement size plays an imperative role in influencing the flexural modulus. The optimum parametric setting for the flexural strength and the flexural modulus has been devised as; fiber type – WPRHP, fiber loading – 10 Wt.% and fiber size – 600 µm; and fiber type – WP, fiber loading – 30 Wt.% and fiber size – 1,180 µm, respectively. The microstructure images clearly revealed that during conducted flexural tests, some particles get disturbed from their bonded position that mainly represents the plastic deformation.

The fabricated polymer materials proposed in the research work are green and environmentally friendly.

The natural fiber-based composites are possessing wide-spread requirements in today’s competitive structure of manufacturing and industrial applications. The fabrication of the natural fiber-based composites has also been planned through the designed experiments (namely; Taguchi Methodology- L₉ orthogonal array matrix), which, further, makes the analysis more fruitful and qualitative too. The fabricated polymer materials proposed in the research work are green and environmentally friendly. Shisham WP has been rarely used in the past researches; therefore, this factor has been included for the present work. The injection molding process is used to fabricate the three different polymer composite by varying the fiber weight percentage and fiber size.